Quest for priceless antiquities

LUDHIANA: Only those with the eye to see the engineering and passion that goes into the making of a vintage would understand what makes them so precious. Take Avtar Singh Tung of Ferozepur Road for instance. This progressive farmer celebrates the beauty of human skill withstanding the ravages of time, becoming prized antiques in the process. He has a Russian Yaz vehicle of the Gaz Company from 1953, a Nissan Jonga of 1973, a one ton vehicle of the same company dating back to the 1970s, a few antique two wheelers, gramophones and utensils.

Avtar Singh, 54, a graduate of Arya College said, "I inherited many of the antique items, including carts and utensils from my father, Sarmulleh Singh Tung. Collecting antiques became a passion during my childhood when my grandmother Tej Kaur gifted my elder sister a cradle, which we have even now. After that I started collecting antiques and vintage vehicles like two and four wheelers."

Tung has a Russian Yaz vehicle of the Gaz company of 1953, a Jonga vehicle dating back to 1973, a one ton Nissan truck of 1972, English Willey jeep of 1982, Japanese Maruti of 1984 and a 1985 Fiat.

Among two wheelers, he has the Royal Enfield bike made in England in 1967, the Java Bike of 1973 and a Lambretta scooter of 1964. They may be antique but they are still in perfect working condition, starting at the first try.

"Apart from these vehicles, I have a manual Japanese gramophone of pre-independence days, an HMV gramophone of the 1960s, a 1976 tape recorder cum gramophone which runs on electricity. A radio of the 1920s, which I have, works even now. Apart from these I have old utensils with Arabic inscription and typical Punjabi heritage articles like charkha and carts", said the antique collector.

Procuring and caring for antiques is not an easy task. But for Tung, his family's support has greatly simplified matters. He said his family members and even his granddaughter, 3-year-old Sehajleen, cherish the antiques as prized family heirlooms.